It all started with a subscription back in December 2023, for Wild Alaskan Company’s seafood. Since then, our family has been enjoying wild seafood, flash frozen and shipped on dry ice from Alaska to us here in the Ozarks. Immediately, we could tell a difference between the wild-caught fish and store-bought, farmed fish because the Alaskan fish is more flavorful, with vibrant color and less watery. When I noticed that Monica Haim-Kallenberg, who is married to the founder of Wild Alaskan Company, Aaron Kallenberg, had published a cookbook, I asked to review it. Since receiving it, my family and I have made several recipes from “Eat Wild: Cooking at Home with the Seafood of Alaska.”
The book is a lovely companion to any cookbook collection, and if you love to eat seafood, it will be used. It’s more than a cookbook, though; it’s the compelling story of the journey of Monica – from someone who said she “underestimated the scope, range, and culinary horsepower of seafood” to someone who has a palate that loves to explore new flavors for fish dishes. Like I had done in the past, she once considered seafood special fare – worthy of eating out in a fine restaurant, or purchased for a special holiday or occasion at home. We now have fish at least once a week, and in a good week, twice.
Also, having traveled to Alaska in 2024, I realized the abundance of types of seafood available, including sablefish and lingcod.
Monica’s husband, Aaron, also contributes his story to the front matter of the cookbook, writing “The heart of this cookbook is the story of my family, whose purpose and love language were revealed by the sea. It’s also the story of how or home, Alaska, instilled in us a reverence for nourishment as a matter of community.”
I am happy to support the Kallenbergs and their multi-generational family fishing business. They have done an excellent job of connecting their mission to their products. Through reading this book, I learned more about the options available for Alaskan seafood, and actually ordered a variety of types of seafood from the company so that I could make several of the recipes.
The book kicks off with an “Intro to Seafood” section, where you learn how to safely thaw frozen fish and shellfish, and progress to cooking tips. Monica includes her “favorite hacks,” as well, that include topics around splatter control, mastering moisture and how to achieve a crispy skin. She also gives you an idea of what a well-stocked pantry would hold: breadcrumbs, maple syrup, honey, miso paste, herbs, coconut milk, a list of dried spices, and more. Then, she moves on to suggest tools. I had never owned a fish spatula before now, and thanks to the gift box that I received along with the cookbook, I now have one in my utensils drawer – and use it religiously on fish dishes. The fish spatula makes it oh-so-easy to flip fish without having it fall apart.
The book also describes how to pan fry, bake, grill or broil fish.
Chapter 1 launches into the five species of wild salmon found in Alaskan waters, and then offers a dozen ways to prepare salmon. Further chapters full of recipes for Pacific cod, Pacific halibut, rockfish, sablefish, Wild Alaska pollock, lingcod and shellfish. In total, the cookbook contains 52 recipes.
I began the odyssey of cooking from this delightful resource with Saucy One-Pan Salmon Piccata with Lemon and Capers. I like that each recipe displays a beautiful photograph of the finished dish, as well. Mine didn’t look quite as decadent as Monica’s did, but it tasted mouthwateringly delicious.
The next recipe I tried, Smoked Sockeye Flatbread with Herby Yogurt Spread, came out fresh and packed with flavor. I made the flatbread from my sourdough discard, so that also added a bit of tang to the overall dish. That bread, combined with the homemade sauce – that included Greek yogurt, lemon zest and juice, dill, salt pepper – made the perfect stage for the smoked salmon. In fact, as Monica recommends, you could have this dish for dinner, a snack or appetizer and even for breakfast.
I then decided to pan fry rockfish, and made the Pan-Fried Rockfish Milanese with Golden Panko Crust. We had a good old fish-and-chips experience that evening, and with Monica’s helpful tips about how to pan fry fish so that it stays crispy in mind, it went well, and we enjoyed yet another yummy dinner.
My daughter, Jackie, borrowed the cookbook and whipped up Pan-Fried Coconut Fish Tacos with Pacific cod. Good reports came over from her dinner table that evening, and all the kids loved it, as well.
I love to make Asian food, and the Teriyaki Stir-Fry with Wild Alaska Pollock did not disappoint. Monica called it the “one-and-done dinner,” with the addition of rice as a base. I also substituted asparagus for the green beans, because that’s what I had in the fridge. That is the beauty of stir-fry; it’s often time to use up the veg in the fridge drawer. This fish is found in standard fish sticks, and used in surimi and fast-food fish sandwiches. Wild Alaskan Company sends the pollock out in bite size pieces, all packaged and ready to roll. Pollock is the second-largest fishery in the world, and a section in the cookbook discusses management practices within the entire North Pacific ocean.
Just the other evening, Jackie sent me more photos of their dinner, which she made from the book: Broiled Salmon with Spiced Honey Garlic Glaze. The honey-garlic marinade transforms itself into a sweet sauce under the heat. The kids loved this recipe, too.
Not to be outdone by Jackie’s recent fish-capade in the kitchen, I then made Crispy Sablefish with White Beans, and this one might be one of my favorites. I never had tasted sablefish before now, and this recipe is a sheet pan type of preparation, meaning you layer it in the oven and it bakes fast. Monica describes the components as becoming “buttery and soft,” and indeed, they did. The fish practically melted in our mouths, and the homemade pesto (with basil from our garden) complemented it perfectly. I also liked the roasted tomatoes, and the bed of cannellini beans.
I am eyeing the recipes for Smoky Seafood Corn Chowder and the Sweet Curry with Crispy Pacific Halibut and Coconut Rice. I haven’t even touched the shellfish chapter; but we have enjoyed the spot prawns from the company in the past, and I am seriously considering ordering scallops for our anniversary. I am setting a goal to trying every recipe in this book within a year. I think we can do it, and we will enjoy the challenge. Also, it’s good to know that I’ll have the Kallenbergs’ support (supplying the wild fish) along the way.
I believe that Monica has achieved her goal with this cookbook. She wrote, “There are plenty of obvious reasons why writing a cookbook makes sense for Wild Alaskan Company, but it’s some of the deeper ones that shaped Eat Wild into something beyond that. One of our core values is creating shared experiences, and my hope is that Eat Wild not only allows us to share some of our most cherished moments with you, but also inspires you to share them with your own people. Whether it’s learning how to cook fish, exploring new techniques, or simply gathering around the table, this book is meant to spark connection, confidence, and joy in every meal.”
The “Eat Wild: Cooking at Home with the Seafood of Alaska” cookbook sells for $39.99 at Wild Alaskan Company’s website. It would make the perfect gift for someone who loves to cook, or who wants to learn how to make appealing fish dishes.
Publisher/Editor Barbara Baird is a freelance writer in hunting, shooting and outdoor markets. Her bylines are found at several top hunting and shooting publications. She also is a travel writer, and you can follow her at https://www.ozarkian.com. View all posts by Barbara Baird
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